How to fight mobile malware like a smartphone ninja [INFOGRAPHIC]

While many of us don’t want to believe it, malware has become quite the nuisance in mobile over the past couple of years. As with any computing platform, the more users flock to specific platforms, the higher the threat of malware and viruses is for that particular platform. Android, being one of the top mobile operating systems, has attracted a bit of attention of its own, prompting Google to employ various tools such as a Play Store gatekeeper and a kill switch for any malicious apps in the Play Store.

Unfortunately, Google won’t be able to protect everyone from everything, and that’s why user education and proactive, preventative measures should be at the ready for anyone who faces these dangers. DJ Miller put together this awesome infographic, a quick and informative guide about all things malware.

Everyone likes to feel like a covert ninja, defending the honor of those less fortunate. When the less fortunate one is yourself, and the targets are your 4G cell phones, defending their value and security is even more important. Mobile malware cases increased 250% between 2004 and 2011, and experts project that this rapidly growing affront to personal security shows no signs of slowing down.

Read this infographic to learn how to defend yourself with high-tech karate chops and defensive blocks like a professional ninja. Find out what kinds of enemies you are facing, and how you can be prepared for future attacks.

If you’ve ever needed to know what it was, how to prevent it and how to get rid of it from your smartphones and tablets then this is a very nice primer to get you on your way. You can even apply some of the tips to traditional PC computing, so if you happen to be on this blog and aren’t an owner of one of these new-aged devices then it’s a helpful read anyway. Give it a thorough rundown, stay safe and know that with enough information, proactive action and know-how, all smartphones are created equally (in terms of security, anyway).

Clicking on the graphic in Chrome displays it in a popup window, making it even smaller than it appears in the article. Opening it in a new tab and zooming in doesn’t help because the smaller text isn’t readable at any magnification level.

Jeremy Bryant

Right-click-> Save Link As-> save it somewhere and open in any image viewer/editor

squiddy20

How to fight malware: don’t be stupid.

DavidVarghese

That’s all it comes down to…

eclipsenyou

and people like you who still don’t think their device can get infected. Obviously you didn’t bother reading the post and seeing the numerous ways you can infect your device.

squiddy20

From the infographic: “Malware can be implanted in various ways: clicking hyperlinks, opening unfamiliar emails, downloading files, viewing unfamiliar websites, using unsecure networks”

They make it seem more doom-and-gloom than it really is. You can’t get malware simply from using an unsecure network or “downloading files”. There has to be something IN the file that is malicious or a hacker on the same network with evil intent. I can walk into the local Starbucks, McDonalds, or Panera, use their completely open and unsecure network, and as long as I’m not doing anything stupid (like going to porn sites and opening random links that lead me to god knows where), the chances are low that I won’t get malware. Thousands of people across the US do this every day, and to my knowledge, the number of malware attacks hasn’t gone up to correspond with the rise in people using unsecure networks.

If “viewing unfamiliar websites” leads directly to getting malware, than how come we ALL don’t have malware on our phones, computers, and tablets? Everyone visits some “new” website at least every day. Again, more FUD.

Apparently you can get malware from “clicking links”. Well then, why don’t we all just stop using Google Search, Phandroid, and virtually every other website on the Internet, since they all have links? Yet again, more FUD.

Apparently you can get malware from “opening unfamiliar emails”. This one I can actually see since there are some people who are stupid enough to click the links in emails with titles like “You’ve just won $5,000! Click here to claim it!” or “Is your sexual performance low? Try our product!”. Hence my previous comment of “don’t be stupid”.

I’m not saying it’s impossible to get malware, but if you just use common sense, don’t go to shady places of the Internet, and watch what you download, you minimize the chance of getting any. Same for viruses, spyware, and other crap.

CalypsoArt

Very helpful. You’re such a deep thinker.

squiddy20

-_- See my elaborated comment above.

Sean Daniel

How about reading reviews instead of being naive and downloading low rated applications… You know… Common sense.

Sorry about that guys. I’ve updated the post with a direct link to the image file.

enomele

Nice. Thanks Quentyn.

Michael Lee

I’ve never even come across any malware… I download trusted apps, and check what permissions they want.

BLADESMAN1889

I use Kaspersky [not the official Play Store app] which I get as free bonus from my Internet banking account – also get it for my Laptop/desktop – £40 for desktop.The licence for the android version is £15 from Kaspersky ”ONLINE” but the Play Store version is only £6 – idk why but Kaspersky states on the official site that they don’t support the PS version. It has some great features like ‘Mugshot’ it takes pic via remote activation, Sim Lock – sends the new sim number that gets put in when yours has been taken out. Remote wipe, block …….. and GPS tracking. So far so good had both running for 2 yrs on phone and laptop. [Thanks to Barclays]

ari_free

“Read this infographic to learn how to defend yourself with high-tech
karate chops and defensive blocks like a professional ninja.”